


Grand Slam

by BreTheWriter



Series: Harbor Park [2]
Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Baseball, Implied Past Zane Garrett/Eli Sanchez, M/M, Minor League Baseball, and this is what I did between innings THIS season, mention of PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 16:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11993121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreTheWriter/pseuds/BreTheWriter
Summary: Or, Five Times Ty Called Zane From the Road (+ One Time He Didn't Have To)





	Grand Slam

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to have this one posted on Thursday--which was the last home game of the 2017 season--but I didn't finish typing it up (I handwrote this one, too). So, whatever, today's the last day of the regular season, it still bookends things nicely.
> 
> I'd like to note that, while Harbor Park is a real place--and all of the people I mention in this story are actual Harbor Park employees--this story is a work of fiction. So if you're a Minor League Baseball fan, you don't need to remind me that the Tides didn't come anywhere close to making the playoffs in 2016, or that I didn't follow the schedule exactly right. I wasn't a season ticket holder last year, so I didn't make all the games.

Away nights were always the worst.

As hard as it was to sit next to a seat that would always be empty—if he didn't bring a coworker—at least the game was a distraction. Zane could focus on the pitches and hits, cheer and swear by turns, and amuse himself by figuring batting averages and how the players must have performed during games he hadn't seen. He wasn't even tempted by Big Willie's periodic bellows of “ICE-COLD—BEEEEER!”

But when he wasn't at the field? When it was just Zane and his apartment full of memories and shattered dreams? Yeah, on nights like that, it was all Zane could do to keep from going to the ABC store, or worse.

Tonight was one of the worst nights he'd had. Tonight, it wasn't just the thought of the burn of whiskey luring him to a road there'd be no coming back from this time. Tonight, after the longest day of a long week had nearly ended in complete disaster—a disaster that nobody blamed Zane for but himself—Zane's thoughts were drifting towards his service weapon or his knives.

Would anyone, he thought dismally as the storm pounded the windows, really miss him if he just put the damn bullet through his skull?

His cell phone began singing, vibrating across the table where he'd tossed it, the light flaring in the darkness. Startled, he picked it up and swiped it open. “Garrett,” he managed, sounding as normal as he could through dint of years of practice. Fuck, he hoped it wasn't Mac.

“Zane.”

The sound of that voice grabbed Zane deep in his gut. “Ty?” he breathed. He sat back in his chair and wiped his forehead.

“Is this a bad time?” Ty sounded genuinely concerned.

Zane glanced at the clock. There was just enough light to see that it was a little past one. “No...no, actually, you couldn't have called at a better time, really. What's up?”

Ty didn't answer for a minute. At last, he said, “We're in Colorado. Denver. Big city. Kind of.”

“And you're not a fan?”

“It's all right, I guess. I'm just not...I don't know.”

Zane rubbed a hand over his face. He wondered how much to tell Ty. How much he wanted to tell him.

It had been a little less than a week since Ty and his boys had headed west. Only six days since the game that had ended in a tie and a thunderstorm. Six days since Zane had begun to feel something he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever—a feeling that had been awakened by Ty.

They had been texting one another more or less constantly. Ty had sent a text whenever he stopped for the night, and randomly throughout the day. Zane would respond when he could. The sight of Ty's number on his phone usually made him smile when he saw it, though, which usually led to questions he wasn't prepared to answer when his coworkers saw him. Still, it had only been six days, built on just a few moments, and Zane guessed he could be forgiven for not including Ty in his calculations of who'd miss him.

“Are you stopping for the night?” Zane asked at last, for lack of anything better to say.

“We've been here most of the day,” Ty answered. “But yeah, we got a hotel for the night.”

Ty's voice was low. Zane frowned. “Everything okay?”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized that Ty was probably in his hotel room, trying not to disturb his roommates. But Ty answered anyway. “I dunno. Something...something's off. I don't know what, but I'm...” He trailed off, sounding faintly desperate.

“You're just getting back from Hell, Ty,” Zane said. He pushed away from the kitchen table and headed to the living room, where he sank onto his sofa, leaning back with one arm stretched along the cushions. “And you're out of the Corps. That's been your life for, what...twelve years?”

“Yeah. Give or take.”

“Of course it's going to feel off.” Without thinking about it, Zane leaned over to click on the lamp on the end table. “I remember Eli telling me about that weird sense of vertigo he got on regular leave after a deployment. This has to be worse.”

There was a sharp inhalation from the other end of the line. “Jesus, yeah. Not just knowing I won't be going back. Not just knowing they don't want me anymore. But knowing he's not here...”

Zane closed his eyes. “I know.”

“It was always the three of us,” Ty whispered. “Eli, Nick, and me. Now...hell, I'm not even in the same room as Nick. Him and Kelly...they're together. I'm in with Owen and Digger to give them space, but it's... _weird._ ”

Zane winced, remembering a conversation he'd had with Eli once. He'd just come home after his last deployment, the two of them sitting on Zane's balcony as the stars came out, drinking iced tea and leaning on each other, like they'd done back in Texas on summer nights.

_Thought Six and O...but that'd never work, Z. Especially not now, but even before. They work well together, they'll always be close, but it'd never be more. Doc, though—fuck, I saw his eyes when—_

“Zane?” Ty's voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

With difficulty, Zane pulled himself back to the present. “Yeah?”

“Are _you_ okay?”

“I...yeah.” Zane scrubbed a hand over his face. “Just thinking.”

There was a short pause before Ty spoke. “About what?”

Zane wondered how to answer. “Just...something Eli said to me once.”

“About Doc and O?”

Zane huffed. “Yeah, actually.”

“He didn't—wait.” Ty sounded a little bewildered and hurt. “They weren't—they said they'd never—”

“I don't think they were. But—” Zane sighed, rubbing a hand over his face again. “Eli...he thought they maybe meant more to each other than even they knew.”

“He knew Nick was bi,” Ty said softly. “Met a guy he was dating a couple years back.”

Zane was silent. Eli had always been pretty attuned to sexuality—he'd called Zane out as gay back when they were still in high school—and he'd pegged both Nick and Ty for bisexual almost from the day he'd met them. He'd been waiting for them to tell him, though, and although he'd bumped into Nick and his date at a nightclub in Jacksonville, he'd never caught Ty or gotten him to admit it.

Better not to say that. Ty deserved the delusion that he had some secrets, right?

After a moment, Ty cleared his throat. “I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I mean, I know it's late, but—”

“You kind of did,” Zane murmured, looking around and realizing that Ty had literally talked him out of the darkness without knowing. “But I'm glad you called.”

“Me, too,” Ty replied, his voice low and intimate.

Zane caught himself in a yawn, surprised to find he was actually tired. “I should probably go,” he said regretfully. “Long day at work.”

“Yeah...I think I could sleep, too.” Ty sounded a little surprised. “Goodnight, Zane. Pleasant dreams.”

“Goodnight, Ty.”

Slowly, Zane ended the call, then got to his feet. He'd shower in the morning. For the time being, he thought he'd just curl up in bed. He didn't expect his dreams to be pleasant...but maybe, for one night, they'd stop.

***

Zane let himself into his apartment, feeling inexplicably drained for it being a Sunday. But then, he'd just driven three hellish hours.

No, he thought, he should be honest with himself. It wasn't really the drive itself. It was what he'd been doing.

He needed a shower, and possibly a week of sleep, but instead he fixed himself a glass of iced tea and headed out to the balcony.

The apartment was stupidly expensive. Zane could have rented a house for what he was paying for two bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms. But, hell, he could afford it. And he wouldn't trade it for anything...well, not anything possible. The kitchen had been upgraded right before he'd moved in, the living room was spacious and comfortable, the master bedroom was on a corner, but the balcony was what had sold it for Zane. More than big enough for two deck chairs and a low table, it proved the perfect place to watch the sunset, the sunrise, or the stars come out. The breeze coming off the bay brought the faint perfume of salt and sand. It was calming and invigorating all at once.

Zane sank into a chair with a sigh and propped his feet up on the railing, tipping his head back to study the sky. With the balcony lights off and the interior equally dark, he could see the stars clearly. His eyes locked on the North Star.

“ _Salud y amor,_ ” he murmured, saluting the sky with his glass before taking a sip.

The ring of his cell phone startled him. He set down his iced tea, then fished out his phone and answered without looking at the display. “Garrett.”

“Hey, Zane.”

Zane felt a current run through his body. “Hey, Ty.”

“Are you busy? I mean...do you have time to talk to me?”

“No. I mean, no, I'm not busy. I've got all the time in the world tonight.” Zane sat back. “I'm off tomorrow. Memorial Day. What's up?”

Ty laughed. It sounded carefree, like he might have been drunk. “Well, me, for one. How was the game today?”

“There wasn't one. Tides just finished a stand in Lehigh.” Zane didn't need to flip out the schedule tucked in his wallet. “Home game tomorrow night, though.”

Ty hummed. “So what did you do all day? Cause trouble?”

Zane couldn't help but smile. “Is that what you did today?”

“Yeah, man. We're celebrating!”

Zane was about to ask what they were celebrating when he remembered the date. “I was going to text you today, but...I spent a lot of it driving. Happy birthday, Ty.”

“I wish you were here to tell me that in person.” Ty spoke so softly Zane wasn't sure he was meant to hear it. Clearing his throat, he added, “Thanks. That wasn't why I called, though. Or maybe it was.”

“So, what exactly _did_ you do today?” Zane crossed his legs at the ankles and took another sip of tea.

“Barhopping, mostly. Started at ten this morning and we've pretty much worked our way through every bar in Tombstone.”

“Are there that many bars in Tombstone?”

Zane imagined Ty shrugging. “I lost count after a while.”

Despite himself, Zane laughed. “Why'd you stop? Are you the DD?”

“We're walking.” There was a long pause, during which Zane focused on the North Star again to try and settle his mind. At last, just when Zane was about to ask another question, Ty said, “They told the waitress it was my birthday, and she brought a shot of cupcake vodka. She was being...I mean, she's a pretty little thing, and she's the kind I usually go for, but...I just had to get out. And I suddenly needed to call you.”

Zane's stomach flipped, not unpleasantly. He very carefully did not examine the feeling that gave him. “You'd never tell me that if you weren't drunk, I bet.”

“Nope!” Ty said cheerfully. Zane had to laugh again. “So why were you driving today? Work?”

Drunks and small children. The most persistent people in the universe. Zane let his eyes drift towards the horizon, where the lights of the bridge-tunnel twinkled. “No, it's my day off. I...uh...I went to DC for the day.”

Ty paused. “You went to DC on Memorial Day weekend? Are you _insane?_ ”

“Possibly,” Zane admitted. “It just...didn't seem right, you know? Not going up for a visit. Even I'm not stupid enough to go up _on_ Memorial Day, but I thought...” He shrugged, even though Ty couldn't see him. “I went to visit. Sat and talked to him for a while. Went to the Mall to grab lunch, sat by the Marine Corps Memorial—”

“I didn't know there was one of those.”

Zane smiled. “Most people call it the Iwo Jima Memorial. IT's the statue of the Marines raising the flag.”

“Oh.” Ty paused. “Did you and Eli ever go?”

“At least once every time he was home on leave,” Zane answered. “A lot of times we'd sit there and watch the sun set. He always said he'd get you guys to come up and see it. Next leave. It was always next leave.”

“You stay to see the sunset for him?”

“I went back. Later. After I finished my lunch, I went back to sit and talk some more.” Zane hadn't been able to get up to visit since before he'd met Ty, so he'd had a lot to talk to Eli about. Even though he could talk to Eli anywhere really, he found it easier when sitting on the manicured lawn next to the slab of cold marble. “Stayed 'til they threw me out, then went back to the memorial and hung around 'til sunset. Then I came back home.”

“How long a drive is that?”

“Three hours, give or take. But there was holiday traffic, even though a lot of it was in the other direction. And the HRBT is _always_ backed up. I hit the traffic coming out of Busch Gardens.”

“I have no idea what either of those things are,” Ty said.

Zane laughed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I'll show you when you come back.”

“Deal.” Ty paused. “How long _did_ it take you to get home?”

“Counting the twelve-mile backup? Forever. I only got home a couple minutes before you called.”

Ty huffed. “You can call me when you're caught in traffic, if you want.”

“Not on my motorcycle I can't,” Zane said. “But...I'll keep that in mind.”

There was another long silence. Finally, Ty said, “I...I think I'm gonna go back to the hotel and lie down.”

“Okay,” Zane said quietly. He didn't really want to let Ty go, but he understood.

Ty hummed. “Stay on the line 'til I get there?”

“Of course.” Zane sat back and smiled, feeling something in his chest loosen as he listened to Ty set off.

***

Zane hit the END CALL button with unnecessary force. Then he hit it two or three more times, just to be sure. He almost threw the phone against the wall, but he decided he wasn't _that_ angry.

He was pretty close, though.

Tossing his phone to the table, he gripped the edges and bowed his head. He closed his eyes, trying to breathe as deeply as he could. The anger threatened to choke him, though. Fresh off a job that had almost sent him right back to where he'd started, in the middle of a heat wave that made even a Texas boy uncomfortable, capped off by a dismal eight-nothing loss to Durham, the last thing Zane had needed or wanted tonight was a call from his mother.

A growl started in Zane's throat when his phone began to ring again. He snatched it up, barely remembering to keep his tone in check on the off-chance it was work. “Garrett,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Zane? Are you okay?”

“Ty.” The mists began clearing from in front of Zane's eyes, and he felt the knot of anger loosen, just a little. “Yeah, I just—been a long week. How are you?”

Ty exhaled. “Good now. I was...you didn't text back, and when I called, you didn't answer. I—I got worried.”

Zane's breath caught. He honestly couldn't remember the last time anyone had worried about him like that. Eli had known that what Zane did was dangerous—just like Zane had known the same about Eli—but he'd mostly trusted him to know what he was doing, and frankly he'd had enough of his own shit to deal with. He'd certainly never seemed bothered when Zane didn't answer him.

But Ty had worried.

“I'm sorry,” Zane offered sincerely. “I had a case—I've been undercover for the last nine days. Couldn't take my personal phone. I only just got home.” And he hadn't been able to check his messages before getting the call from his mother.

“Was it bad?” Ty asked carefully.

“Very.” Zane left it at that and hoped Ty wouldn't ask questions. Technically, he'd been working off the books—what they called Misfits—and he wasn't supposed to discuss what he'd been doing. It had been bad enough that he was pretty sure he'd be having nightmares, though. But then, Ty had been Force Recon, so he'd probably understand about black ops and things that couldn't be discussed.

To his relief, Ty didn't press. “I figured. You sounded kind of...angry.”

Zane huffed out a bitter laugh. “I just got off the phone with my mother.”

“I take it that didn't go well.”

“She just...doesn't get it.” Zane rubbed a hand over his face. “I'm not wanted unless I'm willing to run the ranch and settle down like a good Texas boy.”

“I doubt that.”

“You don't know her, Ty. My dad and sister are good people, but Mother...” Zane trailed off.

Ty hummed disbelievingly. “What did she want?”

Zane sighed. “Every Fourth of July, Mother has a big party—the Steers and Stripes Fundraiser. She wants me to come. I told her I have work, and...she didn't like that.”

“You can't take the time off?”

“I probably could, but I don't want to. Anyway, what she really wants is for me to give up this 'government nonsense' and come home for good.”

“'Government nonsense'?” Ty repeated incredulously.

Zane nodded, even though he knew Ty couldn't see him. “She sees things in black and white. I came pretty close to turning into her, actually.”

Ty didn't speak for a long moment. At last, he asked quietly, “But then?”

Zane couldn't help but smile, even if it was tinged with melancholy. “Eli.”

There was another long silence. This time, Zane was the one to break it. “You didn't call to listen to me rant. What's been going on with you?”

Ty cleared his throat. “Not much. We're in Reno right now. Thinking of heading up to San Francisco next, maybe spending the Fourth there. Johns had a great-uncle or something who died there, he was going on about looking into the mystery.”

It crossed Zane's mind fleetingly to wonder how the hell a group of just-discharged Marines could afford all of this, but he didn't ask. He probably didn't want to know, and Ty probably couldn't tell him anyway. “That would be nice. Reno, huh? Gambling?”

“The other guys are. I was. Pretty much broke even, so I called it a night. Not really good at cards, and I'm not anywhere near as lucky with dice as Irish and Digger are.”

“Ty, are _you_ okay?” Zane asked softly. He sounded...dulled, like he was sick or depressed. Now it was Zane's turn to worry.

Ty was silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke hoarsely. “Yeah, I...I guess. It just...all feels different somehow. I'm not sure how to handle it.”

Zane wanted to reach through the phone and wrap Ty in a hug. “What can I do?”

“Just...talk to me,” Ty practically whispered. “I—I really need a friend tonight.”

“I'm here, Ty,” Zane murmured, his heart aching for Ty. “I'm here.”

***

Zane set Eli's hat on his seat next to his glove, his sunglasses carefully arranged on the brim of the cap. He didn't usually do things like that, but Joanna had pulled him aside and quietly requested it the last game.

“Hey there, Zane.” A bearded man in a highlighter-yellow hat stopped next to his seat, smiling broadly.

“Evening, TJ,” Zane answered as he took his own seat.

TJ leaned on the railing, studying the display. “Looks good. He'd like it.”

“Yeah.” Zane smiled sadly. “He'd like being here even more.”

It was Princess Night, a fireworks night, in the middle of summer, so the park was filling up fast. Zane had even paid a dollar for a souvenir program and was crunching the numbers, both to enter the official contest and to offer up a friendly bet with Eco, Art, and Carl. It wasn't a major holiday, though, and it was fairly hot, so he estimated between seven and eight thousand.

Then again, they were playing Gwinnett. Zane was constantly surprised by how many Braves fans lived in the area.

Spontaneously, Zane pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text to Ty. [My team is gonna kick your team's ass tonight.]

It took longer than he'd expected to get a reply, long enough for Carl to amble over from talking to Dave and Audrey to chat with Zane for a bit, and for Zane to sing along to one of his and Eli's favorite country songs. Just as the announcer began the lineup, his phone buzzed at last. [ _Thems fightin words._ ]

Zane snickered. [We beat you last night and Thursday. We'll beat you tonight, too.]

Ty must have been driving, Zane concluded, because when his phone buzzed again, the chorus from the Barry Robinson Center was in the middle of the National Anthem. Once Zane was back in his seat, he pulled out his phone to check the text. [ _Even a blind squirrel finds a nut when it falls on his head._ ]

[So you're saying there's a chance the Braves will win?] Zane sent off the text with a smirk. Actually, the Braves were doing fairly well this season—a game or two ahead of the Tides, although they were closing the gap—but he enjoyed needling Ty about it.

It was the bottom of the fourth before Zane got a reply. In fact, Zane was so caught up in cheering for a particularly tense play that it wasn't until the Navy Mutual commercial started and he leaned over to fix the seat next to him that he realized he'd received a text.

[ _Fuck you zane. I bet were stomping your ass into the dirt._ ]

Zane thumbed a hasty response. [Actually, we're up 4-0.]

When his phone went off again a few moments later, it was a call, not a text. Zane answered with a slightly distracted, “Garrett.”

“Hey, Zane.” Ty sounded a bit breathless with laughter. He also sounded a little tinny. “Sorry, I'm driving right now.”

“I figured.” Zane raised his voice to be heard over the noise of the ballpark. “I'm still at the game.”

“Which inning is it?”

“Top of the fifth.”

“So the Braves can still pull out a win.”

Zane snorted. “Right, okay.”

Just then, the Braves batter hit a grounder straight at the third baseman. He caught it, stomped the base, and hurled the ball to second. The second baseman caught it and winged it to first. Zane, phone call forgotten, jumped to his feet, yelling encouragement. Trey Mancini snagged the ball an instant before the Braves runner made it to the base, and the umpire ruled it an out.

The stands exploded.

Zane brought his phone back to his ear and shouted smugly, “Triple play!”

There was a series of catcalls and laughter. Zane suddenly thought of something and quickly tapped the speaker button on his phone. “Can you hear?”

“Yeah?” Ty sounded confused.

A moment later, the announcer began. “Southern Auto Group and your Norfolk Tides have paired up for our Salute to Service. Tonight, we'd like to honor Staff Sergeant Elias J. Sanchez of the United States Marine Corps.”

There was a smattering of applause as the camera focused on the display Zane had set up—the hat, gloves, and sunglasses below Eli's name and rank. A recording of a lone bugler played as the announcer continued. “He joined the Marines in 2003 and qualified for Force Recon in 2005. He went on a total of seven deployments in locations around the world and was awarded the Bronze Star in 2014. He has also been a Tides season ticket holder for the past seven years. Earlier this year, he gave his life in defense of his country. Please join us in a moment of silence for Staff Sergeant Sanchez.”

For a wonder, the whole stadium fell silent. Even the players on the field paused in their tossing of the ball as the bugler played on. At last, the announcer said, “Thank you. Let's have a round of applause for Staff Sergeant Elias Sanchez and all our brave men and women who serve our country daily.”

Zane fumbled to turn off the speaker, then brought the phone back to his ear. “You still there?”

“Yeah.” Ty's voice sounded hoarse, barely audible above the crowd. Zane got up and crossed the concourse to the balcony, where it was a little quieter. “I...Jesus, Zane.”

“I didn't know they were going to do that until yesterday,” Zane admitted. “Usually they pick people whose names have been submitted ahead of time, but...I guess they didn't have anyone for tonight, so the staff asked if they could honor Eli. I thought about texting you to let you know, but...I figured you'd just be upset that you couldn't be here.”

“I would have,” Ty admitted. “Glad I got to hear it, at least.”

“Did they show his seat?” a new voice asked. From the Boston accent, Zane guessed it was Nick O'Flaherty, and from how loud he sounded, he guessed Nick was sitting in the passenger seat.

“Yeah. I put his hat, glove, and sunglasses on it.”

“Kinda like the helmet-boots-rifle thing.” The soft voice had a barely-discernible accent, meaning either Kelly or Owen. “Your idea?”

“Kind of.” Joanna had actually asked Zane to bring a picture or something. He'd suggested the display for exactly that reason.

Ty—or someone—sighed heavily. “Hey, Zane, can I call you back later? I'm pulled over on the side of the road right now, and—”

“Yeah, that's fine.” Zane glanced over his shoulder. There was a lot of excitement going on, but it didn't sound happy. “Fireworks tonight, so I'm gonna be here a while, but call whenever, okay? I don't mind ditching the game to talk.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

“Later, Ty.”

Slowly, Zane walked back to his seat. The Tides had racked up two outs—hence the fuss, he guessed—and there was a man on second. Zane cursed as he sat down.

“Yeah, I agree,” Carl chuckled as he leaned on the railing. “Everything all right?”

Zane nodded, one eye on the action. “Just talking to Eli's boys,” he explained.

“Got it. You met 'em?”

“Yeah, they were here for Marine Corps Night.”

The game was tied by the bottom of the eighth, but the Tides held the Braves back in the ninth. They racked up two outs, and Zane resigned himself to extra innings when he realized that Christian Walker, the Tides' resident prima donna, was walking to the plate. Walker was a decent player, although he clearly resented having been bumped to the outfield by Mancini, but his batting average was nothing spectacular. And even if he did make it on base, next in the lineup was Henry Urrutia, who hadn't touched the ball once all game.

To his surprise, however, Walker earned himself a walk to first, and Urrutia actually managed a single. They had a chance.

Mancini was up next. Zane fully expected a double from him; the kid was definitely going places. But even he didn't expect the first baseman to hit a powerful ball that dropped somewhere in the picnic area. Zane, along with most of the rest of the stadium, screamed himself hoarse as the players jogged the bases.

Zane stayed for the fireworks. His season tickets meant that he had parking right outside the stadium, and he was home within twenty minutes, unzipping his leathers and dropping his keys on the table. As if on cue, the phone rang.

His lips curved into a smile as he answered. “Garrett.”

“Hey, Zane,” Ty's voice answered. He sounded wiped out.

Zane was instantly worried. “Everything okay?”

“I guess,” Ty said carefully. “How was the rest of the game?”

“We won,” Zane replied quietly. “Walk-off home run at the bottom of the ninth. Ty, just—I want to help you, okay? Just be honest with me. Please?”

There was a long pause, then Ty spoke in a rush. “I miss you. I know it's stupid, we barely know each other, but—I miss you. I can't stop thinking about you. And I miss Eli—fuck, it hurts, you know? And I'm just...drifting. I'm lost, Zane. Without the Corps...I don't have a purpose. I don't have anything.”

“Ty,” Zane whispered, feeling his heart break.

“Zane—when this is over, when we're—can I come back? Can I—will you let me come see you again?”

“Yes,” Zane said, almost before Ty had finished asking the question. “Any time. And if—hell, if you need somewhere to stay...I've got room. Plenty of it. For as long as you need. As long as you want.”

Ty let out a breath he'd obviously been holding. “Thanks. I—I might take you up on that.” He paused. “Won't be for a while yet. We're still...we're having fun. It's just...”

Zane nodded. “I get it. Look, seriously...call whenever. And when you're ready to come—back, I'll be waiting.”

He'd almost said _home._ Certainly he'd thought it. But Ty didn't have a home—or if he did, it wasn't here.

“Thank you,” Ty whispered.

Zane was suddenly struck almost physically ill with the need to wrap Ty up in a hug. He swallowed hard. “So where are you tonight?”

“Los Angeles. The Angels and the Dodgers are both home this week, so we thought we'd catch a couple games. Couldn't get tickets to the Dodgers until Thursday, though, so...”

“Lot to see in LA. You won't be bored.”

“God, I hope not.” Ty paused. “It's late there. You're probably tired, huh?”

Zane shrugged. “I got nowhere to be tomorrow. Not until four.”

“Well, then...” Ty hummed. “Tell me about the game. All about it.”

Zane slipped out onto the balcony and began to narrate. As he did so, he glanced at the chair next to him and wished Ty was sitting there instead.

***

The energy at Harbor Park was high. It was the last home game of the season, and the Tides were tied with the Knights for the slot in the International League championships. Every single season ticket holder was there, as well as the fans who only came to a few games a year. It was also Labor Day weekend, so people seized on the game as summer's last hurrah.

Zane stood by the third base gate, chatting with the other members of his team while they waited for six. Theoretically, he could have gone in fifteen minutes early, but he'd chosen to wait with his coworkers—his friends. They'd snagged the seats nearest him almost as soon as they'd gone on sale.

“Hell of a crowd,” Perrimore said, looking around. “Who are we playing?”

“Charlotte Knights,” Zane supplied. “Farm team for the Chicago White Sox.”

“We got 'em,” Clancy said confidently. She'd donned black-and-orange war paint under each eye and toted a green foam finger, her hair tucked under that season's giveaway hat. “They're not doing so hot here.”

“We're ahead this home stand, right?” Alston asked.

Zane nodded. “We took the last two. If we win tonight, we'll be one up, and assuming we win at least as many games as them over the weekend, we'll go to the championships. Otherwise, it's playoffs for the Wild Card slot.”

“Should be interesting.” That was Lassiter's serious contribution.

Zane tilted his head up to look at the sky. It had been a warm day, but promised to be a cool night. The thought crossed his mind that, except for the fact that it wasn't supposed to rain, the weather was identical to the night he'd met Ty.

“Hey, Zane.”

Startled, Zane spun around, sure he was imagining things—but he wasn't. Ty stood behind him, in his flannel shirt and Marine Corps ball cap, hazel eyes sparkling and a broad grin on his face.

“Ty?” Zane breathed.

Ty's grin got broader. “You look good.”

Zane gave into impulse. He lunged forward and wrapped Ty up in a tight hug. Ty hugged him back, laughing.

“Welcome back,” he said in Ty's ear.

“Thanks,” Ty murmured.

“Friend of yours, Garrett?” Alston asked dryly.

“No, Scott, he always goes around hugging total strangers,” Clancy deadpanned.

Zane laughed, pulling back and turning to the others. “Ty, meet my team—Scott Alston, Michelle Clancy, Fred Perrimore, and Henry Lassiter. Guys, this is Ty Grady. He was one of Eli's boys.”

“Good to meet you,” Lassiter said, holding out his hand.

“Thanks. You, too.” Ty smiled as he shook hands all around.

“Where's your seat?” Zane asked, still unable to believe Ty was really here.

Ty shrugged eloquently. “Wherever there's room for me, I guess. Didn't buy one in advance. I figure wherever I end up is good.”

“Fuck that.” Zane reached into his pocket. He'd brought both tickets out of habit—a last-night ritual—and now he pulled out Eli's and presented it to Ty with a flourish. “Here. He'd want you to have it.”

Ty's grin rivaled the stadium lights.

The six of them grabbed food from the barbecue stand and ambled to their seats. Carl met them at the top of the stairs with his usual easygoing smile and bent to wipe Zane's seat. “Evening! Where are we sitting?”

“Should be right here,” Alston said, handing over their tickets.

Carl thumbed through the stack, then wiped down the four seats directly in front of Zane's. He looked inquiringly at Ty. Zane touched his shoulder lightly. “He's got Eli's seat tonight. Ty, Carl. Carl, Ty.”

“Friend of Zane's?” Carl asked, holding out a hand to shake. “You must be something. He doesn't usually give away that seat on closing night.”

“I served with Eli, sir,” Ty said softly.

Carl's smile softened, and there was something sad in his eyes. “Welcome, then. He'd be glad you were here.”

Ty glanced at the sticker on Eli's seat. “He'd want to be here more.”

Zane squeezed Ty's hand as they sat down. “Did Nick come into town with you?” he asked curiously. He knew that Kelly had gone back to Colorado, that Owen had taken a job in San Diego, and that Digger had returned to the bayou, but he'd thought Nick and Ty were still together.

Ty shook his head, looking down at his plate. “He went back to Boston. Says he's gonna be a cop.”

“And you?” Zane asked softly, hoping he could be heard over the noise in the background. “What are you doing?”

“Well...” Ty took a deep breath and looked up, meeting Zane's eyes. “I hear you need a partner.”

“He does,” Clancy chirruped, turning around. “Are you FBI?”

“I am now,” Ty said with a crooked grin. “Or will be. I'm going into the Academy next month, and I've already been tapped to be your partner when I'm done.”

Zane grinned, despite knowing that would be awkward. Pitching his voice low, he said, “There are unofficial rules against fraternization, you know.”

Ty's grin broadened. “I'll risk it.”

They chatted easily as the clock counted down. Zane introduced Ty to Art and Eco, as well as Dave and Audrey when they ambled over. Even TJ and Bobby came up to say hello. Ty had a long conversation with the latter, leaving Zane with no doubt that, if he hadn't been planning to join the FBI, Ty would have made a great clown.

When the Tides ran out onto the field, Ty cheered as loudly as Zane and his team did. At the National Anthem, however, he snapped to attention again. Zane felt a thrill run through him, tempered with an ache he didn't know would ever fade.

Eli had always done the same thing.

The game was going to be interesting. That much was clear when the Knights got a hit off the second pitch of the game. Luckily, they didn't score, but it was still tense.

“Great start,” Ty said sarcastically as the Tides ran off the field.

“Nowhere to go but up,” Perrimore said optimistically.

“Or down.” That was Alston's contribution.

As Uncle Bob's Moving Team began throwing the “softee balls” into the crowd, Zane leaned over to ask Ty, “What was the prize? I never did ask you.”

Ty glanced over at Zane. “Coozee and a ten-dollar coupon to Flamingo Joe's. Nothing too exciting.”

It turned out to be a close, exciting game. Ty cheered and cursed along with Zane, thumping the rails in dismay when Corban Joseph was tagged out at home just before scoring the winning run, sending the game into extra innings. Two innings later, Trey Mancini split the bat and sent the ball dropping into the picnic area once more.

The stadium erupted.

Ty and Zane were on their feet, screaming and cheering with everybody else as the Tides ran onto the field, jumping up and down and hugging one another. Someone threw a cooler of water over both Mancini and Ron Johnson. In his excitement, Ty turned and threw himself at Zane, who caught him, laughing. They hugged one another as the crowd whooped and hollered and “Celebration” played over the loudspeakers.

“Fans, the Norfolk Tides thank you for another fantastic season!” the announcer shouted, his voice almost lost amid the cheers.

As the lights began to dim, Zane said in Ty's ear, “Fireworks. Are you going to be okay?” He hadn't forgotten the way the thunderstorm had thrown Ty into a flashback.

Ty hesitated. “I—I don't know. We stayed inside somewhere to noisy to hear them on the Fourth.”

“If you start having issues,” Zane said, “I'll help you. You know that, right?”

“Thanks, Zane.” Ty's smile, as he looked into Zane's eyes, was bright enough to need to be turned off before the fireworks could start.

“Okay, Tides fans, let's count down to turn off the last bank of lights!” the announcer called. “All together now—TEN!”

Ty turned towards the jumbotron, but he didn't leave the circle of Zane's arms. Instead, he leaned back against Zane's chest. Zane tucked his chin on Ty's shoulder and adjusted his arms around him.

“THREE! TWO! ONE!”

The last bank of lights snapped off. The opening notes of a Brad Paisley song were barely audible over the sound of the first firework arcing into the sky.

Zane could feel Ty tense at the initial pops. Because of the winds off the harbor and the nearby airport, the fireworks were only just above the stadium, some barely topping the jumbotron. The curve of the seats combined with the water to reflect and magnify the explosions, and as beautiful as they were, they were incredibly close. Zane tightened his arms more securely around Ty and pulled him back as close as he could.

Ty laced his fingers through Zane's and squeezed lightly. He slowly relaxed as the show went on, and after a moment, Zane identified him as the source of the smaller echoes of the song playing. Ty was singing along. He was hardly the only one, but Zane only had ears for Ty.

It was easy to forget this was the first time they'd done this. That he'd only physically met Ty once before. That they hardly knew each other. This felt...easy. Right. Like they'd known each other forever instead of less than a single summer. Zane wasn't sure how or why, but he decided then and there that he'd do everything in his power to keep it.

Zane recognized the next song as one of Eli's favorites, the one they'd blasted through the truck's speakers as they'd driven the dirt roads of Texas with the windows down, the one Zane had requested periodically on the show they'd both occasionally been able to listen to while Eli was deployed, the one they'd sung quietly on the balcony before Eli's last deployment. Zane knew it was a coincidence that it was part of the show, but it still felt like it was there for Eli.

Ty turned around to look up at Zane. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the world shrank to just the two of them. Zane could see the fear barely held at bay, but he could also see that Ty—somehow, for some reason—trusted Zane to keep him safe.

Zane couldn't help himself. He pulled Ty closer and cupped his face. As the battery of artillery shells began firing, he bent down to claim Ty's lips in a consuming kiss.

Ty's hands slid up and over Zane's shoulders, and he kissed him back as the fireworks burst and Eli's song played. In the back of his mind, Zane was glad the other members of his team were focused on the fireworks and not him, but most of his concentration was on Ty, and the fucking incredible way he felt in his arms.

He felt like home.

The music swelled to a crescendo, the fireworks got more frequent, and Zane let the kiss end, pulling back to drag his nose against Ty's. Ty looked up at him, seeming a little short of breath, his eyes wide but shining in the darkness.

“Do that again,” he said softly.

“Later,” Zane promised, his voice hoarse.

The last of the fireworks exploded, leaving a momentary silence and thick clouds of smoke. The crowd whooped and cheered.

Ty drew in a deep breath, coughed, and suddenly looked panicked. “Zane—” he began.

Zane recognized the signs. He wrapped an arm around Ty's waist nad leaned forward. “See you guys Tuesday.”

Perrimore shot him a look of confusion, but Alston simply waved as Zane led Ty quickly towards the ramp, shielding him from the crowd and smoke that threatened to choke him.

They made it as far as the second bend in the ramp before Ty evidently couldn't go any further. He pressed himself into the corner and slid to the ground, gasping for air.

Zane knew, from what Eli had told him over the years, that Ty's panic attacks were best handled by giving him somewhere to curl up and hide, but if that wasn't an option, your best bet was to be a barrier between him and the memories until they passed. He knelt down in front of Ty and reached out to put a gentle hand on his arm. “Ty,” he said softly. “It's okay, Ty, you're okay. You're safe. I'm here, baby. I'm here. I've got you.”

Ty's breathing was harsh and panicked. Zane was peripherally aware of the crowd behind him—those not staying for Launch-a-Ball or the base run—but he ignored them, focusing his whole attention on Ty.

Finally, Ty began to calm. He looked up at Zane, his hazel eyes still holding the remnants of fear. “Thanks, Zane,” he whispered.

Zane tried to smile for Ty, knowing how much he had to hate episodes like that. “At your service.”

Ty rubbed his chest for a moment and lowered his eyes. He looked humiliated. He probably didn't like the idea of having broken down in front of thousands of strangers.

“Come on, baby,” Zane said at last, sliding his hand down Ty's arm to squeeze his fingers. “Let's go home.”

Ty looked up again, then held up his hand to let Zane pull him to his feet, the way he had after the storm. He looped his arm around Zane's waist for support as they made their way down the ramp.

Tony, the gate guard who'd been a fixture since Zane and Eli bought their first impulsive tickets, smiled broadly as he handed them their coupons. “You comin' to the playoffs on Tuesday?”

“Maybe,” Zane said with a sideways glance at Ty. “We'll see.”

They were halfway across the parking lot—Zane had driven his truck that day, thinking he might have to drive Alston home—when Ty spoke softly. “Did you mean that?”

Zane glanced at Ty, one eyebrow raised. “About the playoffs? Sure. I work until five on Tuesday, but we can come afterwards, if you want.”

“No. Well, yeah, I want to, but—” Ty swallowed. “When you said _home._ Did you mean that?”

Zane stopped and turned to face Ty, holding his elbows as he pulled him closer. “I would be honored if you'd consider it home.”

Ty smiled slowly. “I'd like that,” he whispered. He leaned forward and kissed Zane gently.

Zane relaxed into the kiss, pulling Ty even closer and sliding his arms around Ty's waist. After a moment, he drew back and released Ty reluctantly. “As great as this is...let's take it somewhere private, huh?”

Something glinted in Ty's eyes. “I like the sound of that.”

Zane smiled at him. “Let's go home, then.”

Ty's grin matched Zane's. “I like the sound of that even more.”

 


End file.
